Discovering Dani (River's End Ranch Book 20)

by Cindy Caldwell

  When the course had been readied, she set him at a table for sign-ups, and he took names of individual racers and couples, and some parents with kids for the first run of the day, the kids’ run. Parents would drive, apparently, and their kids—if they were tall enough—would ride behind them. Everybody seemed really excited and he realized why when he saw the nice trophies that were set on a table of the lobby in the Main House. Who could resist a trophy? He knew he couldn’t.

  As the races wound down, he spotted Dani hunched over the lists of times, chewing on her pencil occasionally. Her hair tumbled over her forehead a bit, and her ice blue eyes were intent on her task. He stood aside and watched as she announced the winners, the joy among the crowd palpable as each winner was applauded and clutched their trophies tightly, some holding them high in the air to cheers.

  “Whew,” she said, smiling contentedly as she plopped into her chair under the tent and people wandered back toward the Old West town. “Another year done and over.”

  He sat beside her and leaned back in the chair. She really was beautiful—and talented, and brave and funny.

  “I bet you’re wiped out,” he said finally as she stacked the papers and tucked them in a box for next year.

  She pulled her hat down over her ears and eyed the snowmobiles and looked up at the sky. “Actually, I’m not. I feel a little—I don’t know. Antsy?”

  He laughed and grabbed her hand. “I know the feeling. Every time I finish a race, it takes me hours to settle down.”

  He pulled her up and led her over to the snowmobiles, stopping in front of a bigger one with two seats—the one she usually rode and he presumed was hers. He reached for a helmet and handed it to her and winked as she gazed up at him.

  “Well, the torches are still lit.”

  “You’re right. I guess I should put them out,” she said as she reached for the helmet and pulled on her gloves. “Care to join me?” She threw her leg over her snowmobile and he pulled on his helmet.

  “Why don’t you scoot back and join me?” he asked and stood waiting with his arms folded over his chest.

  She snapped her head up, and it took her a moment to realize what he was asking. “I always drive. I never ride in back.”

  “Somehow, that doesn’t surprise me. But I’m a professional. Let’s see what this baby can do,” he said as he held out his hand to help her scoot back, not at all sure she’d take it.

  She hesitated, and he could see the wheels spinning behind those ice blue eyes—and he let out his breath when she took his hand and did, indeed, scoot back.

  He hopped on, and warmth spread through him as she reached her arms around him and squeezed tightly. He revved the engine and started down the course, the torches blazing in the darkness, lighting their way. It was all he could do not to go full-throttle, but he didn’t want to scare her. He was a pro, after all, and just the fact that she’d trusted him to let him drive was enough for now.

  They sped along the track they’d made together—the first half, anyway. When he reached the small knoll where they’d seen the deer, he pulled off the course and climbed it, stopping short of the boulders where they’d had lunch.

  He cut the engine and turned off the headlight, and they were drowned in darkness, with only the white sparkles of the stars shining on the snow to guide them. He helped her off the snowmobile and unclipped her helmet, hanging it on the back of the snowmobile next to his own as he handed her her knit cap, pulling it down for her and tucking some of her stray hair behind her ears.

  He grabbed her hand and pulled her to the top of the knoll, and they stood in silence for a bit, looking back down on River’s End Ranch.

  “It’s really beautiful, isn’t it?” she asked as she gazed down at her home.

  “Yes, it is,” he said before he turned to her. “And so are you. I meant what I said yesterday.”

  She looked up at him and frowned, and the light of the stars were reflected in her eyes. “Please don’t say that. You can’t mean it.”

  He hadn’t meant to hurt her—he only spoke the truth. He reached for another strand of hair that had escaped her cap and as he tucked it behind her other ear, he leaned forward. Her breath hitched, and he wondered if he was making a mistake—but he couldn’t help himself. He didn’t know what was going to happen when he went back on tour, but the only thing that mattered to him was right now, and he leaned in, and right before his lips brushed hers, he said, “I absolutely can mean it and I do.”

  She didn’t push him away, but leaned against him, her lips warm and sweet.

  “Travis, I—”

  “Please don’t say anything, and thank you for that.”

  He didn’t want her to say anything because he didn’t know what to say, either. And while he didn’t exactly want the moment to end, he thought maybe it should.

  “How about a real ride?” he asked her as he reached for her hand. “That snowmobile will go a lot faster than I’ve seen it go yet.”

  She laughed and looked at the snowmobile. “You sure? It’s dark, and—”

  “One more lap,” he said as he reached for her hand. “Let me show you how fun it is. We can put the torches out after.”

  He pulled her down the knoll and they grabbed their helmets, and before he took off, he said, “Hang on!”

  She held on even tighter than she had before as he careened through the course, expertly handling the curves they’d planned and taking the corners as fast as he could. She squealed once, and he frowned, hoping she was having as much fun as he was.

  He breathed a sigh of relief as they stopped back by the tent, and she laughed until she had to wipe away tears.

  “Wow, that was a rush,” she said as she bent over, her hands on her knees. “Where’d you learn to ride like that?”

  “Ah, so glad you liked it.” He leaned against the bike, his heart swelling that she’d had so much fun. “It’s my job, remember?”

  “With a job like that, everything else in the world must be boring.” She caught her breath and stepped forward. “Thank you. Perfect end to a fun day.”

  He reached out and pulled her close again until their noses touched. “Oops, you must be cold. Your nose is freezing.”

  She lowered her eyes, and the light of the torches they’d yet to extinguish flickered on her eyelashes. She looked up at him and searched his eyes before she took a step back.

  “Yes, it is cold. We’d probably better close up shop. We can get the snowmobiles back first thing in the morning,” she said as she looked back toward the Old West town.

  “Thanks for your help, Travis. It sure made it a lot better. For me and for the guests.”

  He was disappointed that she’d raised her guard again, but glad he’d gotten a glimpse inside, even if it was only for a moment. And it had been a really fun time.

  “No problem. It was a great time. You put together a great experience for the guests. Top notch.”

  “Thank you,” she said. “Couldn’t have done it without you.”

  He reached for her hand and they headed back to the Main House. He wasn’t sure what to say. He wanted to kiss her again, but he couldn’t in good conscience without telling her that he’d be leaving soon. And he needed to tell her soon.

  “What do you have planned for tomorrow?” she asked as they reached the steps of the porch.

  “Wyatt mentioned tomorrow would be a good day for a trail ride. What have you got going on?” is what came out of his mouth, but what he’d really wanted to say was, “I want to do whatever it is you’re doing.”

  She looked up at a stained glass window high atop the Main House. “I’ve been putting off dealing with that letter you delivered from my parents. I need to talk to Kelsi and deal with it, and she won’t be available until after two or so. I’ll just work until then. You and Wyatt will have fun. It’ll be a nice day for a ride,” she said, looking back up at the stars.

  He screwed up his courage and leaned toward her, brushing his lips against her ch
eek. “Okay. I’ll see you maybe tomorrow night?”

  “Maybe,” she said quietly. “And thank you again for all your help.”

  He tipped his ball cap as he backed away, even though leaving was the last thing he wanted to do. “No, thank you. For everything,” he said and he turned back toward the cabin, glad he’d fed Kitty before he’d left and looking forward to hearing her purr.

  Chapter 14

  Dani sat on the porch and waited for Kelsi as she fingered the letter from her mother in her pocket along with the key in the velvet bag. She’d had a long day already. It had been everything she could do to concentrate on work. She couldn’t even count the times Erica had asked her a question and she hadn’t noticed until the third or fourth time—or so Erica had told her. She’d managed to call Kelsi and ask her to come over after she closed the cafe, but she couldn’t think of one other thing she’d actually done so far but brush her finger over her lips—and remember Travis’s lips on hers.

  What could he have been thinking? She wasn’t his type—although she wasn’t sure what that was. All she knew was that she’d had fun getting to know him, admired his skill at racing and that he’d been very good to her. And he was a great cook. And that when he wasn’t around—well, she wished he was.

  She shook it off as she spotted her good friend Tony heading toward the main house with the woman who had been his assistant and who was now his boss and head of security—Charley. Dani smiled as they seemed to be having some sort of discussion, Charley’s hands waving wildly as Tony just smiled and nodded.

  He sat down beside her as Charley said hello and walked into the lobby. He leaned back against the bench and took his hat off, rubbing his forehead.

  “How’s that going?” Dani asked.

  “Charley? Good. She’s smart, real smart. Just juggling the gallery and her, and Mira.”

  She turned to look at him and sure enough, he still had that loopy smile he’d had since he first met his new love. It seemed to be everywhere around River’s End Ranch.

  “How are you doing?” he asked. “Haven’t seen you for a while. I know you were covering for Wade, and I heard the snowmobile races last night were fantastic.”

  “Oh, thanks,” she said as she smiled. “It was fun.”

  “Huh. That’s it? Fun?”

  “Well, yeah.”

  They sat in silence for a moment and she squirmed a bit in her seat. Tony had been a good friend for years, and he always knew when she was hiding something. It was just that right now, she really didn’t even know what she was hiding—if anything.

  “Hey, guys,” Wyatt said as he rode up on his favorite horse, Belle.

  Dani straightened on the bench, peering behind Wyatt, and her stomach tightened as she saw Travis on Wyatt’s second favorite horse right behind him.

  “Travis Montgomery, meet Tony Morales, our resident law enforcement and art expert,” Wyatt said as he pointed toward Tony. “You already know Dani.”

  Her face flushed as Tony stood and hopped down the steps to shake Travis’s hand. “Nice to meet you. Hey, are you the guy I’ve heard about who drove out the Dodge Ram?”

  “One and the same,” Travis said as he tipped his hat at Tony. “Nice to meet you.”

  Travis turned to Dani and winked, and she noticed that today he had on a cowboy hat, not his usual ball cap—and that he looked particularly handsome.

  They headed past the Main House and up the trail and Tony stood at the bottom of the stairs and watched before he came back up on the porch and sat by Dani.

  “So you like this guy?”

  “What? I barely know him. What do you mean?”

  “Good grief, Dani. Never play poker with professionals. You’ll lose with that poker-face.”

  “Oh,” she said as she looked down at her boots. “Well, I barely know him.”

  “Didn’t look like that to me—on either of your faces. You been to see Jaclyn?”

  “Heck, no. I’ve steered clear from her as best I can.”

  “I wouldn’t recommend that,” he said. “She knows stuff.” He stood and stomped his boots on the planks before he stepped inside.

  “Well, I can’t right now. I’m waiting for Kelsi.”

  “Uh-huh. You’d better do it. Remember our conversation from before?”

  “Which one?” she asked as she folded her arms over her chest.

  “I distinctly remember the day you told me I’d better come clean with Mira and tell her how I really feel. I said you’d better be ready—one day a guy was going to show up in a Dodge Ram, or on a horse or jump out of a helicopter and then you’d be toast, too. Looks to me like two of those three are covered.”

  Dani’s eyes flew open and she leaned forward, peering after Wyatt and Travis, although they’d disappeared up the mountain already. “That’s ridiculous.”

  “Says you. Oh, hi, Kelsi,” he said as Kelsi grabbed the handrail of the porch stairs and pulled herself up.

  “Hi, Tony. How’s everything?” she asked.

  “Great. Couldn’t be better, unless you could talk some sense into your sister, here.”

  “About what?” she asked, her eyes wide.

  “Never mind. See you later, Tony. Kelsi and I have some business to talk about.”

  “Suit yourself.” He tipped his hat once more as he opened the door and stepped inside.

  “Okay, what was that all about?” Kelsi asked as Dani grabbed her hand and pulled her inside. She took a quick glance toward the sofa by the fireplace to make sure the coast was clear of Jaclyn before she pulled Kelsi over to the staircase that led to the second floor. She pulled her up the stairs, careful not to make her short of breath but as quickly as she could manage.

  “What’s going on? You’re acting weird,” Kelsi said and she pulled her hand back when they reached the second floor.

  “Just follow me.” Dani led Kelsi down the hall, padding quietly on the carpet. She stopped in front of the narrow stairs at the end and turned toward her twin. “Remember the letter Mom sent with Travis? And the key?”

  “I didn’t see a key,” Kelsi said as she folded her arms and cocked her head.

  “Nice try,” Dani said as she helped her sister to the top of the stairs.

  “Oh, was it a key to the attic? It’s been locked for years. I’ve always wanted to see what’s inside.”

  Dani reached the top of the stairs and opened the door with the key her mother had sent. It creaked as she pushed it open, and she stepped in gingerly, not wanting Kelsi to go in until she was sure there wasn’t anything creepy in there. It was clean, though, not a speck of dust anywhere. Somebody must have been keeping it up—maybe Andrew.

  Light poured in through the stained glass window at the peak of the roof, bathing the room in reds, greens, blues and yellows. Dani reached in her pocket for the letter and read it again, looking up and searching the room for the trunks that her mother had described.

  “Dani, what’s going on?” Kelsi said as she tapped her toe.

  “Just give me a second.” Dani pulled two chairs over to the chest with the pine trees painted on top, just like her mother had said would be there. She sat her sister down and took her hand. “I’m not exactly sure what’s going on, but Mom’s new request was that I bring you up here and open these chests, and that you and I go through it together.”

  “What? Why?” Kelsi ran her hand over the lacquered pine of the chest.

  “I’m not exactly sure,” Dani said as she lifted the lid. “I do remember this, though. Did we have it in our room when we were little?”

  Kelsi peered inside the trunk. “I think so. It looks familiar to me, too.” She reached in and picked up a rattle, laughing as she shook it. “I don’t remember this, though.”

  “We would have been too little to remember that,” Dani said. She reached in and pulled out a little pink dress with a snowman embroidered on it and Kelsi pulled out a matching one.

  “Oh, wow. It’s all our baby stuff.” She reached inside and
pulled out another dress. “I wonder if there’s a big-foot baby outfit in here.”

  Dani laughed and nudged her sister, who returned her smile. “I doubt it.”

  They spent the next couple of hours going through that trunk and another one, laughing at the clothes they remembered and marveling at the tiny ones they didn’t. They talked about being called “twin” at school, and could even laugh about some of the things that had happened in high school that hadn’t been at all funny at the time. Dani couldn’t remember when she’d laughed so hard, especially since Kelsi had married Shane and moved out. It felt good.

  “I miss you, Kelsi.” They finally reached the bottom of the second trunk and began folding and putting things back in.

  “I miss you, too,” Kelsi said as she reached for Dani’s hand.

  “Are you happy? I mean, I think you are, but really, really happy?”

  “You know you don’t need to ask. Shane is the best thing that ever happened to me, and we’re going to be an even bigger family soon.” She patted her belly and held up a tiny outfit. “And now Beckelinda will have more clothes than she knows what to do with.”

  Dani rolled her eyes and didn’t even ask about the name. “We’ll just have to spend more time together,” Dani said before she could stop herself. She had no idea what had come over her—she loved her family and everything, but somehow, things were changing. She felt different.

  “I’ll ask Andrew to send somebody to get these and take them to your house,” Dani said. “You’ll need them soon.”

  “Thank you. Maybe you could bring them yourself, in the ranch’s new Dodge Ram. I’d love to show you Beckelinda’s room.”

  Dani smiled. “That would be nice. I’d love to. Right after Christmas, maybe?”

  “That would be perfect.” Kelsi set the last pink outfit in the trunk and closed the lid. “I’m so glad you’re my sister, Dani. There’s nothing more important than family, and now with Mom and Dad away...it’s even more important.”